Care Plan Charges Shake Up: Hundreds in Hartlepool Face Higher Bills Under New Council Plans.

Council to take a bigger slice of Disability Benefits under new care charges plan

Up to £36.50 A Week More: The Social Care Changes that Will Hit Hartlepool's Most Vulnerable the Hardest.

26th Feb 2026

Residents living in Hartlepool, Teesside who rely on social care could soon be paying more as the council moves to overhaul the way it charges for support — a change expected to generate an extra £164,000 next year alone for the councils 'stretched' finances.

At the heart of the plan is a new Adult Social Care Charging Policy, due to come into force from April this year, which will automatically increase what people pay each year in line with inflation and benefit rises. At present, contributions typically change only when an individual’s finances are reviewed. Under the new system, everyone will see their assessed charge rise at the same time — a move the council says is more consistent and reduces administration.

Hartlepool Borough Council also intends to stop ignoring part of the higher-rate Attendance Allowance and Personal Independence Payment when calculating what people must contribute towards their care. The element — paid to help people who need supervision overnight — is currently protected in Hartlepool but not in many other areas.

Council Officers estimate some 559 residents receive the benefit and around half of them will see their weekly charge increase, in some cases by as much as £36.50.

The other strand of the overhaul reportedly introduces monthly fees for those whose finances are managed by the council because they cannot do so themselves. The service, known as appointeeship, is described in the report as “very labour intensive”. Charges of up to £85 per month are proposed, with much of the work set to be transferred to an external provider in a bid to cut costs and free up staff.

Council admits some may struggle to meet daily essentials as a result of the changes.

The new charges are said to be being brought in to tackle the spiraling cost of adult social care on the councils budget.

The measures form part of the council’s wider medium-term financial strategy, underlining the extent to which adult social care — the single biggest pressure on local council budgets — is now driving policy decisions. The impact assessment attached to the report which is set to go before councillors in March makes it clear who will feel the strain. Older people and those with disabilities are identified as facing a reduction in disposable income, with a warning that some may struggle to meet everyday essentials as a result. Yet despite the scale of the changes, its claimed public engagement on the plans has been minimal, where its said that just 44 people completed the eight-week consultation, & just three respondents found to be currently paying towards their own care. Of those who did take part, fewer than half believed the proposals were fair. That, in itself, critics claim raises a familiar question in Hartlepool politics: how decisions affecting thousands can move forward on the back of responses from a few dozen.

Supporters of the policy argue the changes simply bring the town into line with national practice and ensure that those who can afford to contribute do so. The council is legally required to carry out financial assessments and must leave people with a protected minimum income, and the report stresses that disability-related costs can still be deducted from the calculation.

The extra income expected to be gained by the council following the changes over the next two years is said to be around £228,000